[The government did] many things. I can even mention some of them, but many, many things. For example, when you steal the wealth of the people – when you steal the wealth and all the wealth that this country is offering for its citizens, for its people, and you steal all of that, and it is really – all the wealth is divided between a particular group of people and all of the other people are denied their basic rights, then they are living under horrible conditions, as I said, and others are living this luxurious life – I mean, they have not one house, not two, not three – but maybe a dozen houses or more even – luxurious, big houses, and some [other people] don’t even have water to drink – healthy water to drink. I mean, this denies their dignity. This denies their dignity, when a man is not allowed to have a family, he cannot get married, although he wants to, he cannot have children, although he wants to, because he cannot afford having a family, this denies his dignity as a person, as a man in a society.
And many other – and as for me, when you don’t allow me to say, “No,” or to participate in the political sphere or to take part in decision-making, you are denying my dignity, because I got an education in order for me to have this good career and to bring change and to participate in the welfare of my country. So if you are denying me that, you are denying my dignity.
I mean, what is the added value I am bringing to my country if I cannot participate in anything? Anything, if not under your rules. And this denies my dignity. So it depends on the needs and the demands of the people – that they did a lot, the former government did a lot to deny. I mean, they kept stealing even – they kept stealing the houses of many other people. Some people found themselves on the streets, just because [the government] likes that house, so they steal – they steal people’s houses only because they love their localization they love that city or that neighborhood. And people were exercising and practicing their belief, for example, for their religious beliefs – and were excluded from the country and they were beaten, and they were put in jail. For years. Some of them died in jail.
So this also denies dignity. I mean, people were not allowed to do anything. Anything. But the thing is that maybe you are – many things were a surprise. Even us – we were surprised at the revolution. And many people were surprised – especially internationally, I mean, for us, because they never knew that the situation was as horrible as it was in Tunisia.
And the thing is that the former government and the former president tried to give this beautiful, glossy image about Tunisia in the media and for the representatives of all the other countries, and they [Ben Ali’s government] were showing really wrong facts, and the wrong image about the situation of the country, because they were investing – for example, the government was investing in the downtown, in the capital, and in the regions surrounding the capital. But the south – in the south, and as I said, many, many people were living there, constituting maybe half of the population. They were disconnected from the other part of the country. They were really disconnected. I got to go there, and let me tell you that some of them didn’t even know about the president – about our new president. They were like, “Is it true that our president [Ben Ali] ran away?” The situation is as horrible as this. [Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1936- ) served as President of Tunisia from 1987 until 2011, when he was ousted in the Jasmine Revolution.]
Sarah Ben Behia is a Tunisian freedom activist.
Her passion for public service and volunteerism has landed her a position as a respected activist within the ranks of the civil society world. She has become an active member within the JID association (Youth Independent Democrats) and has been elected a member of the executive committee. During her involvement with the organization, Sarah has participated in several projects aimed at raising awareness among Tunisian citizens and helping the community to maintain the gains of the Tunisian Revolution.
Sarah believes that by promoting internationally recognized human rights, Tunisia can continue to make advances toward becoming a democratic society. Sarah’s projects were designed to establish fair and honest elections, encouraging the involvement of Tunisian youth in the decision-making process, as well as empowering women and their status in society.
Sarah has a Bachelor’s degree in Legal, Political and Social Sciences and recently obtained her Master’s degree in Common Law. She is also a member of the George W. Bush Institute’s 2014 Women’s Initiative Fellowship, a leadership program designed to empower and equip women to catalyze change.
Sarah continues to devote her time and energy to make a significant contribution to the development and the empowerment of her country and community.
Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coastline. It has a population of fewer than 11 million people and is the smallest nation in North Africa in land area. In 2010 and 2011, it became the first of the Arab countries to revolt against decades of dictatorial rule, launching the Arab Spring and a wave of change across the region. Tunisia has a developing economy, focused largely on agriculture, tourism, and light industry.
Tunisia has been settled since ancient times. In the 10th century B.C., it was part of the Phoenician Empire. The city of Carthage, near the modern capital of Tunis, was established in the 9th century B.C. In 149 B.C., the Roman Empire conquered the Phoenicians. Islam was introduced to what is now Tunisia in the 7th century A.D., and the area formed part of the Ottoman Empire for centuries. In 1881, Tunisia became a protectorate of France. A strong French cultural element continues to this day.
In 1956, Habib Bourguiba led Tunisia to independence from France. His political party, later known as the Constitutional Democratic Rally, went on to dominate Tunisian politics for more than 50 years. Bourguiba’s Tunisia was a largely secular state and was viewed as one of the most progressive in the Arab world on women’s issues. In 1987, Bourguiba was replaced in a “bloodless coup” by his prime minister, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali continued many of Bourguiba’s policies, but ruled with an increasingly heavy hand. The Ben Ali regime was repressive and corrupt, with a dismal human rights record. The regime showed little tolerance for dissent, and lashed out at opposition voices in politics, civil society, and the media.
The Tunisian Revolution began in December 2010, when Mohamed Bouazizi, a young street vendor, set himself on fire in protest over harassment by a local official. Bouazizi’s act led to mass demonstrations across the country, protesting the lack of human rights, poor economic conditions, and corruption and nepotism in the Ben Ali regime. On January 14, 2011, Ben Ali stepped down and fled the country. On October 23, 2011, Tunisia held its first free elections, forming a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution and lead the country to general elections. The role of religion in society is among the most important issues facing the assembly and country.
Under the interim Constituent Assembly, Tunisia has experienced considerable political upheaval, but has begun to consolidate its democracy. There is a major fault line between Islamist and secular political forces. In 2013, several political assassinations resulted in widespread protests and demonstrators calling for the nation’s Islamist-led government to be removed. In January of 2014, after two years of debate, the Constituent Assembly ratified the nation’s new constitution. The constitution is considered progressive for the nation and has many human rights guarantees. With the ratification of the constitution, elections are scheduled for autumn 2014.
Freedom House’s 2013 Freedom in the World report categorized Tunisia as “partly free”. The nation received the following ratings on a scale with one being the most free and seven being the least: 3.5 as an overall freedom rating, a four in civil liberties and a three in political rights. Tunisia’s Internet and press were also categorized as “partly free” in subsequent Freedom House reports.
See all Tunisia videos